Wayne Wright is the founder of one of the largest personal injury law firms in Texas with offices in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Austin and Houston. Mr. Wright is well-known as a philanthropist whose dedication to the community includes a focus on the needs of military service members.

Note: This is an mySA.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by mySA or the San Antonio Express-News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

Thank a soldier on the 4th of July

Pick one like Bo Jones. He belongs to America’s new “Greatest Generation.” Jones and other young Americans like him have been laying down their lives to protect your freedom for the last 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jones was just 22 when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan in 2012. It blew off both his legs, fractured his pelvis and destroyed an elbow. Those weren’t his only serious wounds. Jones has been recovering for months at Fort Sam. But he says his service was worth it.

“Me over there, fighting the terrorists, the enemy, it’s keeping their time, their money, their resources tied up over there instead of using them right here in our home country.”

Jones says he didn’t join the military for “college money” or a paycheck. He fought to protect his country and his brothers – “the guy to his right and the guy to his left” as he puts it.

As to his serious wounds and those of other young Americans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jones is pretty succinct: “We are not normal looking humans anymore.” Still, he says he would redeploy in a heartbeat if he could.

There is no doubt that Jones and the young men and women like him meet the standard we have for men and women who fought in World War II. We called them the Greatest Generation. Now we have another one.

Since 2001, nearly 4,500 of them lost their lives in Iraq fighting terrorists there. More than 6,600 have died in Afghanistan since 2003. So says the Department of Defense.

The sheer numbers of young American involved in both wars will surprise you. About 2.5 million men and women in every branch of the service, including reserve and National Guard units, have been deployed in those wars, some up to five times. Thousands have returned with terrible wounds. They said goodbye to arms and legs, suffered internal injuries and irreversible brain damage. Some developed serious, perhaps lifelong depression, protecting your freedom.

Many will be dealing with these injuries for the rest of their lives. We owe them our thanks and support. Since our nation declared its independence on the 4th of July, 1776, we have enjoyed the greatest gift on earth – our freedom.

It had a high price, no less now than then. There is no way to calculate the cost in personal terms that today’s young Americans have paid to protect us. But we can thank them for their service and not just on the 4th of July or military holidays that we celebrate every year. Let’s thank them every day, starting with this 4th of July.